Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 258.1

“Grapes-ie?”

……

“Why aren’t you answering. I’m really curious about the talk show your friend Braun hosts.”

It felt like I was showering in cold sweat despite not even having a body that could sweat.

[Oh. Looks like they watched the live broadcast. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to take this chance to meet the viewers, wouldn’t you say!]

[But having someone grab this cotton-stuffed body of mine so tightly seems like excessive contact. Passionate fans are my fate to endure, but would you be so kind and tell them to put me down, Friend?]

Yes, I really might start sweating.

“Oh, is it supposed to work like this? Hello, children! I’m Braun!”

[Good grief.]

“Agent.”

Agent Bronze stopped Agent Choi, who was mimicking Braun’s voice, and took the rabbit doll from him as if snatching away a dangerous object.

But the movements were cautious, like he was handling a bomb. Then he carefully set it on the wooden porch.

[Hmm. This isn’t bad!]

No, now he even laid out a silk handkerchief on the floor.

Then he arranged blue pebbles into a circular warding pattern and placed Braun exactly in the center.

Anyone could see it was the kind of measure used to temporarily appease or restrain something unholy…

And then he looked at me.

“……”

……

Eyes that looked like they could pierce straight through a person… No, but.

‘How did they figure it out?’

Black-Tortoise Team 1 shouldn’t even know that Braun’s Late-Night Talk Show exists.

Even if they did, connecting it to my rabbit doll named Braun is way too much of a logical leap, isn’t it…?

Besides, the live broadcast this time was publicly hosted by Section Chief Lee Jaheon!

‘Are they just probing me?’

I’ll have to dodge this as best I can…

“Grapes, I can hear your gears turning from over here.”

Shit.

“…Let’s move first.”

Black-Tortoise Team 1 silently stood, stepped on some sort of activation pad, and transported me and Braun outside.

I could faintly sense the intent to get Braun away from Disaster Management Headquarters in case something happened.

No one said a word during the process.

Well, except for one thing when I tried to pick up Braun.

“Hands off, please.”

Yes…

What comforted me, at least, was that the agents didn’t try to attack or dispose of Braun.

They simply carried the doll very carefully, almost respectfully. Thanks to that, no Braun-induced incident occurred.

Although honestly, it looked less like they were escorting a VIP and more like they were relocating a cursed doll sealed at some mountain temple…

‘But that means they understand how serious this situation might be.’

As we moved, it felt as if I wanted to gulp dryly, even though I physically didn’t have any saliva right now.

Our destination was at the outskirts of Seoul, in an old, run-down, empty alley rumored to be marked for redevelopment.

One of the Disaster Management Bureau’s inconspicuous deployment rest sites was this small, old, inconspicuous container room.

And it was there I finally understood the source of this catastrophe.

“Roe.”

Inside the container, sitting at the old desk across from me while waiting was none other than Assistant Manager Eun Haje!

It hit me like lightning.

‘Information traveled both ways!’

Assistant Manager Eun Haje, who knew Tuesday Quiz Show and the Late-Night Talk Show, and the agents, who knew that my Good Friend rabbit plush is named Braun. Two sides both met, and of course a disaster like this happened. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

And that means…

‘There’s nowhere left to run.’

I’m screwed.

“Sit.”

……

I quietly sat at the prepared desk.

Assistant Manager Eun Haje looked at the rabbit doll on the handkerchief with a troubled expression.

“That Braun… is this Braun, right?”

……

Yes……

Affirmative

The assistant manager’s eyes were practically cursing me.

Having seen me working in completely contaminated conditions on the Late-Night Talk Show, and then seeing me carrying around a rabbit doll named after the talk show host… I can’t imagine what she must have thought…

And if, after going off to rescue Section Chief Lee Jaheon, she then witnessed a marriage reality show airing that looked exactly like that late-night talk show.

‘……Huu.’

[My. Mr. Roe Deer, you seem troubled.]

[Why not take this chance to explain how useful and charming your good friend is?]

That is…

Wait.

Hold on…!

Request : Paper and pen

Reason : To explain the situation

Right. Didn’t I learn while communicating through notes with Baek Saheon and the paper boat?

If it’s written conversation, I can talk just like a human!

And the perfect explanation for getting out of this mess suddenly came to mind.

“…Uh, do you have any paper?”

“Huu.”

Assistant Manager Eun Haje took out a piece of paper, then Agent Bronze passed it over to me. As soon as I got it, I urgently began writing.

So the thing is, Braun’s…!

Braun is like the great Tiger General.

“…???”

“What are you talking about now.”

I mean to say that he’s a supernatural being who’s helping me.

Right.

This doll actually wasn’t something Braun gave me, but something I personally obtained as a sacred medium that acts as a vessel for him.

“What?”

Please hear me out!

Do you remember? I told you I was missing for a month and that I was processed as having retired from Daydream Inc. due to death.

And do you remember that I testified in the Glass Prison that it was true…!

I stared hard at Agent Bronze. He flinched.

“…I do remember, but.”

In truth, during that month, I wasn’t simply missing. I was working inside a supernatural phenomenon called the Late-Night Talk Show.

And I persuaded Braun, the host of that talk show.

As a result, Braun accepted my resignation request, and afterward, he resided in the doll and has been helping me during my supernatural disaster investigations…

Just like…

Just like an agent receiving help from the dokkaebi.

“…!”

Yes. This is exactly how to talk to Disaster Management Bureau agents.

‘After all, agents also borrow power from supernatural beings when they can appease them properly…!’

Among them were beings both powerful and dangerous. Even the Tiger General that Agent Choi summoned was a manifestation of Baekho Daesal, or the great killing spirit of a white tiger, something that could very well devour a person.

‘Braun is no different!’

[Hooh.]

He clearly didn’t sound pleased, but if they could accept the comparison to the Tiger General, then maybe this would work…

“Is that how it is?”

“All of that sounds like bull. This kid almost died on the talk show.”

No!

There were many times Braun saved me from dying.

Assistant Manager, do you remember that insane exhibition ghost story? Braun helped with the loudspeaker. It’s thanks to him that we all made it out…!

And I managed to leave the theme park with my life because of Braun too!

“But you messed up using him and almost died anyway.”

That was…

I didn’t die, just got contaminated.

“Are you being serious?”

Uuurk.

‘Yeah. Even I admit this sounds ridiculous…’

Assistant Manager Eun Haje saw me in my contaminated state. No wonder she doesn’t buy it.

But listen.

Yes, he’s a supernatural being, so his sense of emotion is different from a human’s, and that does cause trouble sometimes.

But if that’s the standard, then my current state is the same.

“…!!”

I felt the smoke drifting through the gas mask.

The horns crowded above my head, the amorphous mass of flesh beneath my clothes.

Just having someone who could stay with me in isolation was a source of strength.

…It felt a bit strange.

I was crafting a persuasive excuse, yet as I wrote it, I realized that, somewhere inside, I genuinely meant it.

I’m not claiming he isn’t dangerous, nor that I trust Braun completely.

But I’m certain I’m in a better state now than before.

And that was only possible because Assistant Manager, Supervisor, and the Section Chief came all the way into that high-grade Darkness to find me.

Thank you.

“……”

I think of the Braun inside this doll as my friend.

At least for now, I think it’s okay to call him that.

Salt Goblin

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